Armor-plate.



No. 663,96l. -Patented Dec. l8, I900.

A. B. DONALDSUN.

ARMOR PLATE (Application filed May '16, 1900.) (No Model.)

ATTORNEYS NlTED TATES ARTHUR BURR DQNALDSON, OF DUNSEITH, NORTH DAKOTA.

Aer/loa- PLATE.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent Na 663,961, dated December18, 1900.

Application filed May 16,1900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LARTHUR BURR DONALD- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Dunseith, in the county of Rolette and State ofNorth Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inArmor-Plates, of which the following is a full and completespecification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to armor-plates for war-ships; and the objectthereof isto provide improved armor-plates which may be used as armorfor war-ships, deck protection, bombproof covers, or on express-cars,and for other and similar purposes.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, in which like referencecharacters denote like parts in both views, and in which-- Figure l is aplan view of an armor-plate made according to my invention, and Fig. 2 atransverse section thereof on the line 2 2.

In the drawings forming part of this specification I have shown at A apart of the side wall or frame of a vessel, and in the practice 0'!" myinvention I provide an armor-plate consisting in the main of alternatelayers of rubber or other elastic material and steel, and I also placebetween the layers of rubber and steel sheets 'of asbestos to preventthe overheating of the rubber or other elastic material in hot climates,and I have also shown at B, reference being made to Fig. 2, a sheet orplate of rubber or other elastic material, and at O a layer of asbestos,and at D a sheet or plate of steel, and these are alternately arranged.The layers of rubber or other elastic material and steel may be of anydesired thickness, and the inner layers are bound to the side of thevessel by bolts E, which are passed inwardly therethrough, and the headsof.,which are as shown F, and the outer layer or layers are secured .tothe inner layers by bolts G, the inner ends of which are countersunk inone of the layers of steel, as shown at H, and the outer ends of thebolts G are also provided with countersunk nuts K, by which the outerlayer of steel is held in place, and the shanks of the bolts G arepreferably angular in cross-section, so as to prevent said bolts fromturning in the operation of setting up or riveting the ends thereof, soas to hold the nuts in place. By means of this con- Serial ITO-16,863-(No model.)

struction it will be seen that it is impossible for the-outer bolts tobe driven into the ship by a shot or otherwise, as the heads of saidbolts rest on a'plate of rubber or on a thin layer of asbestos adjacentto said plate of rubber, and the bolts which hold the inner layers ofthe armor-plate can also not be driven into the ship by reason of thefact that their heads,which are directed outwardly,are covered by theouter layer or layersof rubber and steel. An armor-plate made in thismanner possesses elasticity which deadens the force of a solid shot orshell, and the yielding efiect produced counteracts the force of theimpact of the shot, or shell and decreases its penetrating power.

For the elastic layers or plates I prefer to use rubber; but othermaterial may be found to be suitable, and for the other plates or layersI prefer to use the best quality of nickel,

steel, or similar material now employed in the construction ofarmor-plates.

My improved armor-plate is also muchlighter and cheaper, as will beapparent, than armor-plates as usually constructed, and this is an itemof great importance in the construction of battleships, as by meansthereof the coal-carrying'capacity and steaming'radius may be largelyincreased.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- An armor-plate composed of a plurality of layers ofsteel and elastic material alternately arranged, the inner and outerlayers being of steel, all of said layers except the outer layer ofsteel and the adjacent layer of elastic material being-held in place bybolts which pass therethrough inwardly, and the two outer layersof steeland elastic material being held in place by bolts which pass outwardlythrough the next adjacent inner layer of steel and through said outerlayers of steeland elastic material, said bolts being provided withcountersunk heads, and the outer bolts being provided with countersunknuts, substantiallyas shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I. have signedmy name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 10th day of May,1900.

' ARTHUR BURR DONALDSON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE A. Counrrnu' A. REEVES. I

